Flying

I remember when I first saw a Boeing 757: While boarding one in 1983. I was struck by the highly cambered wings; the tall landing gear; the nose, which recalled a Lockheed Constellation; and the pair of big, high-ratio bypass engines, which seemed to produce a gentle hum as opposed to a whine. This was elegance and efficiency in motion mated to a comfortable cabin with plenty of headroom.

A recent CNBC news item noted that Formula One racing tycoon Bernie Ecclestone “flipped” his new G650 just weeks after he took delivery. An Asian industrialist who didn’t want to wait out Gulfstream’s order backlog for the popular new model bought it for $72 million—$7.5 million more than the list price.

For decades, the Sikorsky S-76 has been the gold standard in corporate helicopters. With more than 800 sold since its introduction in 1979, the model combines futuristic styling with a large cabin, speed and solid all-weather capabilities.

Anyone who endured airline travel over the Thanksgiving holiday last month can tell you that the best time for a visit to Grandma’s for a turkey dinner is also among the worst times to fly “the scheds.” (It didn’t help that Hanukah arrived early this year, starting on Thanksgiving Day.) Major airports strain to handle traffic loads during normal times, and when all those passengers want to get

Acoustics experts are finding ways to make business jets quieter than ever.
Racing through the lower stratosphere at Mach 0.85, pushed along by roaring jet engines and outfitted with pumps, actuator motors and fans, the business jet is naturally noisy.

Quote/Unquote

“Let me be straight with you. What I'd rather have is an airplane. We just had a third kid. I don't like flying commercial. I like to take my family to Hawaii. When I go east, I'd like to have pilots I know.
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